Yesterday I published a guest blog in the form of a letter that my grandmother wrote in 2001 for my grandfather’s 80th birthday. It always makes me cry when I read it. I’m just floored by some of the observations and happenings it highlights. And I’m also perplexed by one glaring unspoken observation.
My grandfather never had a birthday cake until his 25th birthday. Can you imagine? My grandmother saved egg ration coupons for weeks to get enough eggs to make that birthday cake for him, which was an angel food cake. That part isn’t in her letter but I found out about it when we talked more about her effort in making and getting him that cake.
My grandfather and grandmother went to a technical high school, the only one in the country at the time. But these kinds of school were common in Denmark and have made their way into our education system over the last 70 years in varying forms. This type of hands on school really addressed the issue of how different people learn differently. There is something for everyone and it lets kids discover and find what they are good at. I wish there were more of these types of technical schools around.
My grandfather could make any of my kids stop crying when they were babies. He would just hold them and clutch them to him, very tightly. They must have felt safe in his arms.
I think my grandfather really did memorize the dictionary. We could NEVER, and I mean never, win at any word games with him. When you thought you had a stumper of a word, he would come up with something like, Arkadelphia. And then we would be like, “No, that’s not a word.” Then we would look it up and sure enough, that word would be in the dictionary, glaring right at us.
My grandfather was a master craftsman. He made all kinds of furniture, jewelry, and things. I still have and use the two jewelry boxes he made for me. My mom still has hers. They are all beautiful. He used a pattern he found in a newspaper (or maybe it was a magazine) to make these jewelry boxes. He would make some variations in it depending on the request. He also made all of the furniture in their home. He made it to fit the spaces they had. I think we kept most of it when he died and we moved my grandmother to California. At the time, I didn’t have any space for this furniture, but I hope to someday because I love the corner cabinets he built for their dining room.
My grandfather wouldn’t talk much about his military service. I’m sure he saw things no one should have to see. After he died and I went through all of the paperwork, I found that he had been classified as disabled for his war injuries and that he received a disability check every month until his death. It was a paltry sum, a minor way of saying thank you for your military service and sacrifice for your country.
I learned so much being out in nature with my grandparents – every plant, every bird, every rock & mineral. It was a fantastic legacy and learning experience.
The glaring omission in my grandmother’s letter is that she never mentions the four children they had together, one of whom is my mom. I always found that odd. I know the letter was about Glasco and his 80th birthday but I always found it a bit disconcerting and odd that my grandmother never mentioned it except in passing when she mentions that they moved to Wichita with 16 boxes of books and 2 kids. Hmm, not sure what to conclude from that omission.
My favorite part of the letter and the essence of my grandfather is that he was the ultimate helpmate and he definitely was a never dull, but vibrant being.
